Homecoming
by AloneTogether
Summary: Sasuke's back so why does naruto feel more alone now then he'd ever been? One-shot Sasunaru.


Diclaimer: Naruto want's to belong to me but Masashi kishimoto won't let him

Warning: Slight sasunaru. And pure crap!

A/n: i was listening to Kanye West - homecoming and got this strange idea, so i rolled with it...

* * *

**Homecoming**

"He's back!" she shouted as she ran down the crowded street of Konoha. "He's back!" she beamed.

Sakura was running on excitement alone, it was fuelling her, it was unbelievable. Ino sure was going to be jealous that she was the first one to know! She's was ecstatic and nothing, not even the Ino-pig was going to get her down from her high.

At first she thought she was hearing things, after such a long time Sakura had grown used to daydreaming and hallucinating about this day. So she had to make sure she wasn't hearing things again, she had to make sure he was back! And he was. Her Sasuke-kun was back in Konoha, back in his home village and where he belonged.

Sakura turned the corner sharply, almost knocking an old woman with a walking stick over. If she wasn't in such a hurry she would have apologized and offered to help the woman with her shopping, which looked to weighed a ton by the way the old woman was hunched over. But she was in a hurry she had to see Naruto, to tell him the great news. She was certain he was going to be pissed off at first it was after all his job to bring Sasuke home. He'd promised her he would. But she knew deep down he'd be just as ecstatic as she was, deep down she knew he'd been waiting, hoping and praying just as she had these past three years that one day Sasuke would return and then things could go back to being how they were before he'd left. They would be team seven of rookie nine once more.

Back to the bickering the rivalry, the friendship and bonds they shared. Back to shouting at Kakashi-sensei for being late. Back to when everything was perfect.

She began climbing the long stairs to her blonde friend and companion's tiny apartment, the same one he'd lived in throughout his academy and genin days. Sakura had tried to coax Naruto into getting a new, bigger apartment, she was certain he could afford a new after all the missions he'd done over the years. But Naruto had shrugged her off, saying he wanted to stay there, it was special to him sentimental almost. Sakura didn't quite get what the blonde had meant by that but decided she wouldn't pry.

Unable to control her excitement any longer, Sakura barged into the blonde's apartment, finding Naruto sitting calmly on his bed staring at a picture frame in his hand. Her smile slowly slipped off her face as she took in Naruto's appearance. He looked so…peaceful and happy. It wasn't like the forced smiles she was so used to getting after Sasuke had left, it was a genuine Naruto smile.

"Sakura-Chan, finally figured out you couldn't stand living without me any longer?" he joked. Though he still had feelings for Sakura it wasn't the same she could see that. They were more like siblings then like lovers, Naruto had always been the annoying hyperactive little brother and she was the older sister who kept him in line.

"No way moron" she joked and gently hit him on the arm. Naruto pouted and looked at her with big crystal blue eyes.

"sakkkkkura-chan" he whined and put on his best puppy dog face.

Sakura laughed and hit him once more across the head. A small smile tugged on both their lips as they fondly looked at one another, they stayed like that for a few minutes, each ignoring the soft whistle of wind that caressed their skin and brushed their hair.

Remembering why she came here, Sakura let out an all too cheerful giggle.

"Sasuke-kun's back!" she shouted joyfully, Naruto looked up at her taken aback.

"What?" he asked dumbly, he had heard perfectly clear what she had just said but had to make sure.

"Sasuke-kuns back! I overheard a couple of Chuunin talking at the training grounds this morning. I asked them and they had said he had been found a couple of miles off the coast of fire country" she beamed, unable to control her excitement any longer, Naruto looked at her perplexed. "He's back Naruto! Aren't you happy?"

Sakura looked joyfully into Naruto's eyes and for a second she thought he was going to cry, but he quickly hid it and anger flashed in his features.

"That bastard! I'm going to kick his ass!" the blonde roared and began stomping towards his apartment door. Sakura sighed and followed him, tuning out his little tirade. She knew he was going to react like this.

Naruto and Sakura walked side by side down the street of Konoha. Naruto had considerably calmed down by this time and began chanting about the new flavour of ramen he was going to try at Irchiraku's tonight.

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered, interrupting the blonde's speech. Naruto looked to his side and quietened down immediately when he noticed her sudden sombre face. He knew Sakura no longer had the silly crush on Sasuke she used to have when they were young, but she was still loyal to him, apart of her just wouldn't let go of him. "What will happen…with Sasuke?"

Naruto looked forward once more, his face just as sombre as his friend's. Truthfully he didn't know what was going to happen with the raven after all he was a traitor, a missing nin, he had violated the laws of Konoha and that was punishably by death. But he was certain that wouldn't happen, Tsunade couldn't kill the last Uchiha, could she? No! not if he had any say in the matter, no one was going to take Sasuke away from him a second time!

Brightening up he turned to his pink haired friend again, beaming.

"He'll join us again! Him, Kakashi-sensei you and me. It'll be the same believe it!"

Cheering up Sakura straightened and smiled up at the blonde, he always knew the right words to say to bring her spirits up.

Walking at a steady pace the two remaining team seven members reached the Hokage's office and found Kakashi leaning against the door, his Ichi ichi paradise book in hand. The grey haired Shinobi looked up from his favourite book and smiled as his ex-students approached him, even though they were no longer team seven he still enjoyed their company. They were his first and only team after all and despite himself he'd grown fond of them both over the years.

"yo" Kakashi greeted giving them a hidden smile. "What's up?"

"Kakashi haven't you heard?" Sakura asked giving her sensei a quizzical look. Kakashi looked at his only female student utterly confused, "Sasuke-kun's back!" he sighed, even after three years she was still obsessed by Sasuke.

Kakashi chuckled and smiled once more.

"Is that so? Well we better give him a proper welcome home" putting his favourite book away reluctantly, Kakashi joined the two ninja's and started towards the foot of the Hokage Mountain, where Sakura had heard they were taking Sasuke.

It was cold, as cold as the grave, though the sun was still out, Naruto shuddered it shouldn't' be this cold. It was a happy day, a day of rejoice. It was just unnatural to be this deathly cold when everything was going fine…

Anticipation flooded through Naruto, his stomach began doing summersaults as they neared the meeting point where soon they'd be together again. He'd be together again with Sasuke. Unable to keep himself from smiling the blonde quickened his pace, trailing ahead of Sakura and Kakashi. This was it, this was his day –

However when he got to the foot of the mountain his smile abruptly fell, he suddenly felt sick. What was this? What…where was Sasuke?

Naruto feet couldn't, wouldn't move as he looked upon a motionless figure lying lifeless on the ground. The figure was drenched in blood, he couldn't even make out what colour the male's hair was or any of his facial features but the aching in his heart told him he knew exactly who he was, who the person was laying in front of him.

Sakura bounced happily on the balls of her feet, giddily she looked at Naruto…he wasn't smiling…no shouting, nothing what was wrong. Reluctantly she followed Naruto's line of vision her emerald eyes began filling up wit tears as she looked at three ANBU black ops.

"Where?" she chocked out her voice sounded so unfamiliar even to her own ears, "Where is Sasuke?"

"We're sorry" one of the ANBU approached her, as her tears started spilling out and cascading down her soft cheeks. He looked at her then towards Kakashi who looked at the point of breaking himself, "he was dead when we found him" the ANBU captain tried to sound as sympathetic as possible but he wasn't sorry! No one looked sorry at all! They looked almost grateful the bastards looked happy he was gone! Even the sky didn't want to cry for him.

Naruto jaw tightened he was seething with anger, they weren't sorry, they weren't sorry at all!! Next to him Sakura's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, Kakashi had caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. Her sobs drowning out his and the chirping of the birds in the tree near them. Unable to stay any longer Naruto turned on his heel and ran away, he ran and ran, he didn't care where he was going as long as he was far away from there, he didn't want to hear anyone's condolences, he didn't want to hear their faked sympathetic tones, he didn't want to hear his sensei and Sakura cry. He wanted none of this! It was supposed to be a day of rejoice not of morning. This wasn't fair!

Naruto's pace slowed as he neared the bridge, team seven used to meet up at before their missions and training exercises. Slowing down until his sprint was a mere brisk walk the blonde took out a small photo from his jacket pocket and glanced over it. Blue eyes traced the happy faces in the picture the up to the cloudless sky then to the calm unchanging river beneath him.

Naruto leant on his elbows and looked down at the river, feeling completely lost and broken.

He remembered this feeling it was the exact same feeling he felt when Sasuke had first left the village without telling him. It was familiar yet foreign at the same time, because then he thought he could bring Sasuke back, he believed he'd be able to grow stronger and bring him home but now…now he knew the complete opposite. Sasuke was never coming back. He was never coming home. Sasuke was never going to be there beside him, never again.

"_Team seven…Haruno Sakura…Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke"_

"_You alright…scaredy cat?"_

"_You're still quite the kid…Naruto"_

"_Naruto…"_

Despite himself tears started to form in Naruto's eyes, the picture in front of him blurred in and out of focus as his tears cascaded down his whiskered cheeks. He swore he'd never cry again, he'd never cry over Sasuke again. But here he was crying and he didn't care. Naruto closed his eyes and let out a half sob half laugh.

"That bastard" he sobbed, "he always had said the only way he'd come home was when he was found dead"

Naruto legs felt uneasy and weak, letting out more uncontrollable sobs the blonde fell onto his knee's, his grip slightly softening around the photo until a soft wind blew the small picture of team seven out of his hand and into the water.

Naruto continued to cry until he had no tears left to cry, only sobs that hurt each time they escaped his throat. He hadn't even noticed when Iruka had appeared or when he had started to cry into the Chuunin's vest. The brunette gently whipped away the last remaining tears that glided down the blonde's cheeks and rubbed circles softly into the younger boy's back.

Iruka didn't need Naruto to speak to know he was grateful for him being there. He didn't need the villagers telling him about Sasuke's death to know it had happened, simply looking at Naruto told him everything he needed to know. And what he needed to know was that the blonde was hurting, it always boiled down to Sasuke whenever Naruto looked so broken and fragile.

Naruto let himself fall into a uneasy sleep. Sasuke was home but he felt more alone now then he'd ever been.

* * *

_I'm coming home again_

_Do you thing about me now and then?_

_Do you think about me now and then?_

'_Cause I'm coming home again_

_Being home again._

– Kanye west featuring Chris martin.

A/n: Reviews are loved!!


End file.
